Hurricanes magic matches 2005 ? 2007

Above: The Hurricanes beat the Brumbies 11-10 in this match, with Thomas Waldrom scoring a memorable match-winning try on fulltime.

Continuing our Hurricanes rugby series as the Investec Super Rugby hits its stride and the Hurricanes return home to Wellington to play their first home match of the season, here's ten magic matches, home and away, between 2005 and 2007

2005 Hurricanes 26 v Waratahs 24, Wellington

Jerry Collins became the 11^th play to reach 50 caps for the Hurricanes in this top-of-the-table mid-season clash between the Wallabies-laden Waratahs and competition leaders and the second placed Hurricanes. These two sides went into the clash with a recent history of high scoring head-to-head encounters. But instead an arm-wrestle ensued right to the end and it came down to Waratahs fullback Mat Rogers missing a late wide-out conversion that would have locked the scores up. The Hurricanes held on for their sixth victory in seven games after earlier tries to lock Ross Kennedy, flying wing Lome Fa'atau and super-sub Chris Masoe.

2005 Hurricanes 22 v Blues 10, Auckland

This win was the Hurricanes' first ever victory over the Blues in 10 years of the Super 12 and the occasion of captain Tana Umaga's 100^th match for the Hurricanes. Umaga became the fourth Super Rugby centurion and first Hurricane. It was thus fitting that he reached his milestone against the Blues, the team he played his first game against in 1996 and who he spent a decade trying to beat. The Hurricanes went into this match knowing that victory would be enough for them to make the 2005 playoffs having won seven from nine. The first half was tense, with scores locked at 3-3 at the break, before the Hurricanes opened the contest up with three explosive tries. Flanker Ben Herring scored off his own grubber and then wing Lome Fa'atau and lock Ross Kennedy scored tries for an unassailable 22-3 lead and an ensuing semi-final spot.?

2006 Hurricanes 23 v Stormers 19, Cape Town

The Hurricanes earned their fourth straight Super Rugby victory over the Stormers with this excellent come-from-behind win at Newlands. Behind 13-19 with barely five minutes left on the clock, second five-eighth Tane Tu'ipulotu and left wing Hosea Gear each scored tries in opposite corners of play to win the game for the Hurricanes. Tu'ipulotu's try was good reward after coming into the starting side as a replacement for injured captain Tana Umaga. Tu'ipulotu had played in all 11 games for the Hurricanes two years previously and had also scored a try the last time the Hurricanes had played in Cape Town in 2004 and won 25-19, before injury disrupted his 2005 season.

2006 Hurricanes 23 v Sharks 17, Wellington

The Hurricanes forged their reputation as the competition's entertainers back in the early days of the Super 12 when they excited and delighted many with their free-wheeling running rugby. The Hurricanes produced one such noted performance upon their return from South Africa in 2006 against the Sharks. Their sixth win in seven games that season was sealed with two lightning long-range second half tries, both scored from Sharks mistakes. In a battle royale, the Sharks had led 10-9 after 60 minutes before flanker Chris Masoe and right wing Lome Fa'atau finished off twin whirlwind broken field movements to keep the Hurricanes at the top of the points table.

2006 Hurricanes 26 v Bulls 23, Pretoria

A Bulls intercept try, a Bulls disallowed try and another cracking Hurricanes comeback were the talking points of this Hurricanes excellent victory at a white-hot Loftus Versfeld, their third victory there in four matches since 1998. For drama and excitement, Pretoria was the place to be that afternoon. Particularly when intercept king Bryan Habana lived up to his reputation and sprinted away to give his team a 20-12 lead. Right wing Akona Ndungane seemingly scored for the Bulls again but the video referee handed the Hurricanes a reprieve. The Hurricanes rallied and replacement wing Shannon Paku ran on to a Jerry Collins stab kick followed by hooker Andrew Hore scoring in the dying minutes for a much celebrated win.

2006 Hurricanes 26 v Reds 22, Wellington

The Hurricanes sealed their place in the 2006 semi-finals with a round to spare with this victory over the Reds. The Hurricanes fought hard against a determined Reds side for a record breaking ninth Super Rugby season win, overhauling a 13-15 deficit early in the second half with an eight point spread and holding on to win and temporarily move to the top of the table. The Reds outscored the Hurricanes three tries to two, but perfect goal kicking from the Hurricanes and their ability to absorb pressure for long periods proved the difference. The home side's kickers, first five-eighth David Holwell and his second half replacement Jimmy Gopperth, were successful with all six kicks at goal. The Hurricanes beat the Waratahs the following week and were back in Wellington the week after that for a historic first home semi-final (see below).

2006 Hurricanes 16 v Waratahs 14, Wellington

The Hurricanes have contested six Super Rugby semi-finals between 1997-2009 but have progressed through to the final just once, in 2006, with this epic victory at Westpac Stadium. The Hurricanes made history in edging out the Waratahs for the second consecutive week after previously beating them in Sydney. For the second week on end, they did it with another gutsy performance characterised by sublime attacking rugby and periods of?tremendous defence. It was fitting that the season's top try scorer Lome Fa'atau scored his 10^th try of the season in the first half, while the rest of the Hurricanes' points came through the respective boots of David Holwell, Piri Weepu and Jimmy Gopperth. It was a long-range penalty?from halfway to replacement first five-eighth Gopperth that won the game, after Waratahs right wing Peter Hewat?had landed two quick penalties to overtake the Hurricanes and lead 14-13 midway the second half.

2007 Hurricanes 22 v Highlanders 21, in Wellington

Fans were on the edge of their seats when Highlanders and All Blacks first five-eighth Nick Evans lined up a conversion attempt that would have given his side victory on fulltime. But his kick sailed wide and the Hurricanes held on for a 22-21 win in their last match of the season. The Highlanders' try to halfback Toby Morland running on the inside shoulder of an Evans break, finished off nine phases of frantic last-gasp attack and almost won them the game in a late comeback. after the Hurricanes had previously threatened at the other end for long periods of the second half. The Hurricanes had established a 22-16 lead soon after halftime through tries to first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth and wing Hosea Gear.

2007 Hurricanes 11 v Brumbies 10, Wellington

The Hurricanes - Brumbies match in 2007 came down to the last play of the game, No. 8 Thomas Waldrom the hero in scoring the match-winning try in the corner in the 80^th minute. Waldrom's try brought the Westpac Stadium crowd to its feet as the Hurricanes overhauled a 6-10 deficit for a death-knock win. With the fulltime hooter ringing in everyone's ears, the Hurricanes attacked for one last time from inside their own half. Surging forward towards the line, replacement flanker Hayden Hopgood offloaded a deft pass in the tackle to Waldrom in support on his shoulder. Waldrom then pinned his ears back and charged for the corner for the decisive score.??The supercharged finish capped off a contest of few opportunities, Hurricanes first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth only able to bang over two penalties in reply to the Brumbies' one converted try and penalty.

2007 Hurricanes 23 v Blues 22, Wellington

It took the Hurricanes 10 seasons to notch up their first win against the Blues, before beating them three years in succession between 2005-2007. The third of these victories in 2007 was a one-point thriller at Westpac Stadium, in which the Hurricanes held on gallantly over the final quarter as the visiting Aucklanders threw everything at them. The second half had been as tense and tight as it gets, Jimmy Gopperth's 58^th minute penalty the last scoring play of the match to edge the Hurricanes ahead by one point. Prior to that the lead had changed four times in the second half after the teams were locked up at 10-10 at halftime. But Gopperth's boot proved the difference, the first five-eighth kicking three penalties and 13 points, including his 250th Super Rugby point, to go with tries to fullback Cory Jane and flanker Serge Lilo.

An earlier version of this article was first published offline in 2010, in a Hurricanes match-day programme.

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